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High Lassa Fever activity in Northern part of Edo State, Nigeria: reanalysis of confirmatory test results
Eze, K.C; Salami, T.A.T; Eze, I.C; Pogoson, A.E; Omordia, N. & Ugochukwu, M.O.
Abstract
The purpose was to establish simple statistics of the effects of lassa fever in northern part of
Edo State, Nigeria. Lassa fever activity in the northern part of Edo state, Nigeria, was confirmed
in 2004 by laboratory analysis of samples sent to Bernhard–Nocht Institute (BNI) for Tropical
Medicine Hamburg, Germany. The published report of that study is re-analysed to determine
in statistical terms, what the values presented in percentages translate to in number of persons
in the hospital and the area. In the year 2004, 12,000 persons presented with febrile illness at
Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Irrua; 832 (6.5%) had lassa fever confirmed by reversetranscriptase-polymerase
chain reaction (RT-PCR). 4,096 (32.26%) of those with febrile illness
had acute infection as they tested positive for IgM antibody. 333 (33.33%) of about 1000 staff
of the hospital had sub-clinical infection as they tested positive for IgG and negative for IgM
antibody. At least 208 of the 832 patients (25%) of the hospital with confirmed lassa fever must
have died in the year 2004. 967 (5.9%) of relatives or members of the public who had contact with
infected persons had confirmed lassa fever. 555 (66.67%) of those with confirmed lassa fever
are close relatives. The epidemics occur in clusters of households, houses, streets or villages. It
is concluded that high lassa fever activity in the area has wider effects than what is observed
in hospital admitted patients. Further seroepidemiological survey involving large population
sample in the area should be carried out to establish more accurate seroepidemiological data
on lassa fever. This study is expected to impact positively on the generation of political priority
for the control of lassa fever in Nigeria
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